A Reserve aircrew’s wise planning helped them complete a high-profile airlift mission Feb. 12 – delivering the remains of U.S. Rep. John Dingell back to Washington – despite crippling winter weather that prevented other aircraft from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Michigan.
A Charleston C-17 Globemaster III flown by a crew from the 701st Airlift Squadron was tasked with transporting the former Democratic Congressman’s remains and his family back to Joint Base Andrews where it would be carried by motorcade through the Capitol to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Over a weekend-long combined humanitarian and training mission, three C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and their Reserve Citizen Airmen crews from Joint Base Charleston’s 315th Airlift Wing delivered humanitarian aid to Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras, Feb. 3-4, 2019. The three missions were planned to maintain the aircrews’ flying currency and readiness requirements, while at the same time delivering the cargoes of medical supplies, an ambulance, and several tons of food to outreach organizations in their respective countries.

A 315th Airlift Wing unit finished its most recent joint-service training exercise Jan. 29 at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Hawaii.
Teaming up with FEMA, the FBI, Army, Coast Guard and Marine Corps, the 315th Contingency Response Flight completed Exercise Patriot Palm, a joint-service emergency and natural disaster response exercise, coordinated by the Air Force Reserve, designed to integrate first responders from federal, state and local agencies, and the military by providing rapid response training.

Reservists from the 315th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charleston delivered nearly 8,000 pounds of humanitarian aid to Guatemala City yesterday. The mission, part of a standard C-17 Globemaster III aircraft training mission, delivered the donated supplies consisting of firefighting and rescue equipment to the people of Guatemala. The relief missions are part of ongoing efforts by the 315th Airlift Wing to utilize flight training hours to provide humanitarian relief to countries in need, while also providing mandated training for C-17 aircrew members.

While the Jacksonville Jaguars lost their Oct. 21 home game against the Houston Texans, 20-7, the game at least started off with a thunderous roar from a Charleston C-17 Globemaster III flown a mere 1,500 feet above by the 701st Airlift Squadron also known as the “Turtles.”

It starts here: Training Continues: Part 2 of the Development and Training Flight series
“I am faithful to a proud heritage, a tradition of honor, and a legacy of valor,” was proudly recited during the Airman’s Creed by the young men and women of the 315th Airlift Wing Development and Training Flight during their unit training assembly on Oct. 13at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.

Concern, fear, anxiety, and fatigue shadow the rigid, but unorthodox position of attention among the young men and women of the 315th Airlift Wing Development and Training Flight here. Mixed among those faces, beamed a glimmer of pride and patriotism that sparked the initiative of these recently enlisted trainees who are bound for Air Force basic military training.